After being eliminated from the MVC Tournament by Western Michigan University, there is a lot to be said about the NIU men’s soccer season.
A season that came with many offensive struggles also saw exceptional defense and goalkeeping.
In their final match of the season, NIU was outshot 40-10, with most of the possession being held by Western Michigan. This was a common theme throughout the season. In the second match of the regular season on Aug. 27 against the University of Memphis, the Huskies were outshot 17-6.
Throughout the course of the season, the Huskies were outshot 304-175 and scored an average of 1.29 goals per game.
Only once in the season did the offense score more than 2 goals, and that was on Sep. 4 against Aurora University. The team notched 7 goals in the win – the only time the offense seemed to prosper.
The talent was there to score goals and finish, but the offense struggled to create opportunities. The Huskies needed to improve offensively to make the tournament and semifinals.
Although the team improved throughout the season and looked better offensively in the postseason, the stats remained similar. What appeared to change and have the largest impact on their performance was the energy. In the games that really mattered, the team appeared to have a higher energy and desire to win from the initial kickoff.
In the match on Sept. 8 against Northwestern University, NIU was behind after just 14 minutes. In both tournament matches, NIU held their opponents scoreless until well after the half. In the quarterfinal against Bowling Green State University, the defense held strong until the 81st minute. Western Michigan did not find a goal until the 82nd minute during the semi-final match.
The success of the team can be largely attributed to the defensive efforts and the exceptional performance of senior goalkeeper Jakub Rojek.
Rojek recorded 84 saves on the season and allowed only 24 goals. He was all over the net and consistently read plays well. He was a large part of the reason that the Huskies made it to the MVC Tournament.
In the tournament, Rojek notched 20 saves. Nine of those saves came in the semifinal and helped to keep the Huskies in the game. His performance earned him a spot on the All-MVC Tournament team.
Although the score of the semifinal might not reflect a strong outing, Rojek’s performance was outstanding. He faced 40 shots and meshed well with his defense. With the lack of opportunities created by NIU’s offense, an upset of Western Michigan was too tall of a task for the Huskies. Rojek’s performance was the main reason an upset was possible to begin with.
Regardless of the outcome, there is both a lot to be proud of and improve on from the 2023 season. Despite the heartbreaking ending of Western Michigan scoring 2 goals in extra time, making the semifinals is a success that seemed unlikely throughout the regular season.
Finishing the season with a 7-9-1 overall record and a 3-4-1 conference record, a successful season could have been even better with a more consistent offense. The Huskies not only earned a spot in the MVC Tournament but made it to the semifinals as the pinnacle of the season. NIU only hopes to continue its success into the 2024 season.
